Malda will receive 3,14,602 additional houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said during a visit to flood-affected residents in Bhutni on Thursday. He also announced financial assistance totalling Rs 242 crore for people affected by the floods.
The housing announcement was made while the chief minister addressed questions surrounding the release of instalments under the rural housing scheme. According to his remarks, the government did not differentiate between Hindu and Muslim beneficiaries while releasing funds to eligible households that had completed their houses.
Adhikari said the previous government had released the first instalment to 67,113 people. After verification, the second instalment was released to 56,760 families, he said. The figures were presented as a response to claims that beneficiaries would not receive the next instalment if the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power.
The chief minister also warned that money would be recovered from people who had obtained housing scheme benefits through illegal means. He said beneficiaries found to have secured assistance improperly would have to return the funds and could face imprisonment. The remarks indicate that beneficiary verification and recovery action will remain part of the administration’s handling of the housing programme.
The proposed 3,14,602 houses would substantially expand the housing pipeline across Malda district, although the statement did not provide a construction schedule, beneficiary-selection timeline, unit cost, funding split or details of the agencies responsible for implementation. It also did not specify how many of the proposed houses would be allocated to flood-affected families in Bhutni.
The announcement comes alongside the declared Rs 242-crore financial assistance for flood victims. The source report does not provide a beneficiary count, disbursement mechanism or payment timeline for that assistance. These details will determine how quickly affected households can use the support for temporary relief, repairs or housing reconstruction.
During the event, Adhikari also appealed to residents to help prevent child marriage. He said girls below the age of 18 should not be married and referred to cases involving girls aged 12 to 14 becoming mothers. He called for social reform and public participation in stopping such marriages.
The chief minister’s remarks place housing delivery, beneficiary verification, disaster assistance and child protection within the same district-level administrative response. The next publicly stated steps are the construction of the additional houses, verification of eligible beneficiaries and the recovery of funds from those found to have received housing assistance through improper means.
